In general, inkjet printing machines or printers include at least one printhead that ejects drops of liquid ink onto an image receiving surface. A phase change inkjet printer employs phase change inks that are solid at ambient temperature, but transition to a liquid phase at an elevated temperature. The melted ink can then be ejected onto an image receiving surface by a printhead. The image receiving surface may be a media substrate or an intermediate imaging member. The image on the intermediate imaging member is later transferred to an image receiving substrate. Once the ejected ink is on the image receiving surface, the ink droplets quickly solidify to form an image.
In various modes of operation, ink may be purged from the printheads to ensure proper operation of the printhead. When a solid ink printer is initially turned on, the solid ink is melted or remelted and purged through the printhead to clear the printhead of any solidified ink. The word “printer” as used herein encompasses any apparatus, such as digital copier, bookmaking machine, facsimile machine, multi-function machine, etc. that forms ink images on media substrates. “Inkjet printer” refers to a printer that operates a printing apparatus to eject ink drops and form an ink image. When ink is purged through a printing apparatus, such as a printhead, the ink flows down and off the face of the printhead typically to a waste ink tray or container positioned below the printhead where the waste ink cools and re-solidifies. The waste ink collection container is typically positioned in a location conveniently accessible so that the container may be removed and the waste ink discarded.
At various times during the operational life of a printer, a waste tray is moved. This movement may occur inadvertently, such as when a printer is jostled or bumped. At other times, the movement may occur as part of a maintenance procedure performed on the printer, such a customer removal and cleaning or replacement of a printer part. Assuring that the waste tray retains ink within the tray during movement of the tray is a worthwhile goal as melted ink can impair the performance of the printer and/or could be a hazard to the customer or service technician.